MONTREAL, QUEBEC—At the second annual National Green Building Summit earlier this month, the Canada Green Building Council (CaGBC) announced details of the LEED Canada for Existing Buildings: Operations and Maintenance 2009 (LEED Canada EB:O&M) program. Available later this summer, this new rating system provides ongoing certification on the performance, operations and maintenance of commercial, government and institutional buildings that have either never been LEED certified or that have been certified under other LEED programs such as LEED Canada for New Construction and Major Renovations.
“Examining actual performance and not design expectations, LEED Canada EB:O&M 2009 recognizes the ongoing efforts of building owners and managers to continually improve the performance of their buildings,” said Thomas Mueller, president and CEO of the CaGBC. “It also provides those operators with the opportunity to demonstrate to their tenants, occupants and the wider community, their ongoing commitment to green buildings.”
The new rating system considers the building as a whole, accounting for both common and tenanted areas. It looks at building exteriors as well as site maintenance programs, the optimized use of water and energy, the commitment to purchasing environmentally-preferred products and food, waste management and recycling programs and continual indoor environmental air quality.
In addition to ongoing maintenance and performance, LEED Canada EB:O&M can be used for alterations and additions to a building, provided they are applied to no more than 50 percent of the total building floor area and do not require more than 50 percent of building occupants to be relocated. For buildings that exceed 50 percent in both areas, LEED Canada for New Construction and Major Renovations applies.
Go to CaGBC.
